Kilbride Thistle manager Sean Kenney says the amateur club are not far away from completing their West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) application and joining the professional pyramid.

The amateur side from West Kilbride could be joining the WoSFL as soon as next season if they pass the criteria to join.

Speaking to the Herald, boss Kenney said: “Talks have been ongoing since last summer with the WoSFL about what sort of things we need to have in place to join the league.

“The big one is your own ground which is what we are working

on and we are trying to get that sorted at St Matthew’s, using the grass park inside the cage.

“We would look to get in and

get it up to the standard that is required by the league and I don’t think it is far away because it already has floodlights and things there.”

Despite the potential step up into the WoSFL, Thistle will not be abandoning its amateur root.

The club has announced that they will be absorbing another amateur team into the club to represent them as of next season.

Kenney said: “I’ve got a lot of respect for amateur football, it has been really good to us and it is something I am very proud of.

“I just thought it was important that we kept our name in amateur football because I don’t just

ant to walk away from it, I want

to still have a good amateur

team.”

This move means the club will have four teams now with the potential WoSFL side, amateur team , Sunday team and Under-20’s squad.

Kenney says he will not be stretched too thin however by managing all these sides as he plans to move his management team across the club.

“I’ll be the manager of the WoSFL team, and I will probably be bringing in a couple of coaches alongside me who have got a bit of experience in those leagues.

“The coaches that I have just now they know how I work and how things are done at the club, so the plan is that we spread them out between the amateur team and the U-20’s.”